Legal news for California automobile accident attorneys. Five high school students were seriously injured a crash, DUI investigation underway.

California automobile accident attorney alert- Five Pacific Grove High School students were involved in a car crash that left a girl with a spinal cord injury.

Monterey County, CA—Five Pacific Grove High School students were killed on Saturday evening, February 20, 2010, after the car veered off the roadway and slammed into a tree. The owner of the car reportedly did not give the teenagers permission to use his car, which wrecked on Skyline Forest Drive in Pacific Grove, as reported by KSBW.

Christopher Veloz, 19, who is the owner of the car, reportedly had several people over at his house on Saturday night when he ended up falling asleep before everyone left. Aaron Corn, 18, allegedly took Veloz’s car without permission and went for a ride with four other people. Veloz was reportedly woken up around 4:00 a.m. by his father, who told him his 1996 Toyota 4-Runner was involved in a serious crash. The car apparently left the roadway and slammed into a tree, injuring all of the occupants. Veloz stated he had no idea who took his car. Two of the injured teens received surgeries that were reportedly successful; while another girl who sustained a spinal cord injury is expected to stay in the hospital and then enter rehab for several months. The two other students received medical treatment at area hospitals and have since been released. Corn’s condition is currently unknown.

Police official’s stated that the seatbelts the teenagers were wearing saved their lives. Investigators believe alcohol was a factor, and are waiting for toxicology reports. If investigators gather enough evidence, a felony DUI charge could be filed against Corn.